Lincolnshire County Council’s children’s services  rated ‘outstanding’

Lincolnshire County Council’s children’s services have again been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, following their latest inspection.

Ofsted inspectors visited the county in April to review the help, protection and care provided to children and young people. The inspectors rated the council’s services as ‘outstanding’ overall and found that families in Lincolnshire continue to have access to local services that help to keep them safe and support them to make good progress.

Their report also noted that council staff, schools and other adults involved in the children’s lives worked to ensure that help was provided quickly when needed, before issues had a chance to escalate.

Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services, said: “Keeping children safe and ensuring they get a good start in life is a priority for the council. We are proud of the support we provide to our most vulnerable children and young people, and we were delighted to again be rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

“I was particularly pleased that the inspectors recognised that staff spend time getting to know the children to understand what is important to them. They try hard to make sure that the children’s views and wishes are listened to, and that they are helped to stay in touch with siblings and other family members who are important to their lives.

“Although we were rated ‘outstanding’ during our last inspection, we have continued to look for ways to improve. So, we were pleased that the inspectors found that even better support is now available to children and young people who either go missing or are at risk of being involved in things outside their family that may cause them harm or get them into trouble with the police.

“I’m confident that staff will build upon this latest success and find ways to improve the support available to families even further, so that Lincolnshire remains a place where all children are able to flourish.”

A copy of the report can be found by visiting the website reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/80484